Closure member



Feb. 9 1926.

W. SCHWEMLEIN GLOSURE MEMBER Filed Feb. 27, 1924 @Hannut Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM SCHVEMLEXN, 0F IPARKERSBURG, TEST VIRGL'NA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PARKERSBURG RIG 85 REEL COMPANY, OF

CORPORATION GF VEST VB/GNLA..

ARKERSBURG, WEST VRGINIA, A

CLOSURE MEMBER.

Application lfiled February 27, 1924. Serial No. 695,556.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Sor-Infusi- LEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parkersburg, in the county of lVood and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and usefull Improvements in Closure Members, of which the iollowing is a specilication.

This invention relates to closure inembers, and more Particularly to gage hole covers for oil tanks.

An object of the invention is the provision of a cover having an operating lever so arranged that when the lever is brought to its closed position, the pressure on the cover is increased over that ot the weight of the lever proportionately as the length of the weight arm is to the load arm.

Heretofore, gage hole covers have been merely held in contact with the deck by their own weight or have been bolted in position. Where the weight of the cover is relied upon to keep it in position, it trequently blows open whenever there is a rush of gas in the tank, and the bolted cover is objected to due to the time consumed in releasing and replacing it. In the present invention, I provide a gage hole cover which is normally held in position with sulilcient force to resist the pressure of gas in the tank but which may be readily and quickly opened when desired.

In the accompanying drawings, l have showns one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a plan view,

Figure 2 is a rear elevation,

Figure 3 is a side elevation,

Figure l is a vertical sectional view on line lf-l or Figure 1, and,

Figure 5 is a detail view of a link connecting the operating lever to the cover.

Referring to the drawings. the reierenc numeral 1 designates a cylindrical body or shell Vadapted to be secured to the deck ot' the tank. As shown, the bottom of this shell is provided with a flange 2, having openings 3 for the reception of bolts or other suitable fastening elements. One side o'f the shell is provided with a pair of spaced ears 4. These ears are provided witlr alined openings adapted to receive a bolt e' 'forming a pivot or hinge pin for the cover. A substantially cylindrical` cover 6 having a peripheral flange 7 is adapted to be arranged over the top of the shell, and the cover is provided with a radially projecting arm 8 adapted to be arranged between the ears 4 and having an opening for the bolt or hinge pin 5.

The operating means used in connection with the cover consists of an operating lever pivoted to the shell and a pair of links connecting the lever to the cover. As shown, the lever consists of a yoke 9 arranged in front of the cover and extending on each side of the shell. The shell is provided with diametrically opposite bosses 10, adapted to receive pivot pins 11 on which the yoke is mounted. Beyond the pivot, the ends oi the yoke are provided with downwardly extending arms 12. A substantially L- shaped link 13 is pivotally connected to the lower end of each of these arms, as at 14?, and the upper end of each'link is pivotally connected to an ear 15, `formed on the cover by means of a pivot pin 16.

The operation of the device will be apparentfrom the foregoing description. The cover, operating lever, and link are normally in the full line position shown in the drawings, and the arm 12 and the link 13 each extend downwardly beyond the cover. When the cover is to be opened, the operating lever is swung on its pivot to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3V ot the drawings. The initial movement of the operating lever has no eect on the cover, but as the lever is swung, the lower end of the arm 12 moves upwardly and exerts an upward force on the links 13, which tend to move them upwardly and thus raise the cover. l/Vhen the cover is in raised position, the operating lever is in the dotted lineiposition shown whereby the weight 01"' the lever tends to retain the cover in open position. When the cover is closed, the movement of the lever to its normal position exerts a pressure on the lever which is increased over the weight of the lever proportionately as the length of the weight arm is to the length of the load arm.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the saine and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement ofv parts may be resorted to without departing :from the spirit i isizsie of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, a shell, a lcover `pivoted on lsaid shell, an operating lever pivoted on said shell, said lever being provided with downwardly extending terminal extending beyond their pivots, and a floating link connected to each of said terminals and to saidcover whereby upward movement of the .free end of said lever will move said terminals about said'pivots as an axis and raise'said links to open said cover.

'2. In a `device of the character described, a shell, a cover vpivoted on lsaid shell, an

veach ot' said termina-ls and to said cover whereby upward movement ofthe tree end of yoke will move said terminals about said pivots as an axis and raise said links to open said cover.'

3. A dev-ice constructed in accordance with claim l wherein said floating links comprise substantially L-s'haped members.

In testimony whereof, I atix my sig-nature.

y WILLIAM SCHWEMLEIN. 

